Mahmoud Salem
| Mahmoud Salem | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1931 Alexandria |
| Died |
24 February 2013 (aged 82) Cairo |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Language | Arabic |
| Citizenship | Egyptian |
| Education | High school |
| Period | Late 1960s - 2000s |
| Genres |
Children literature Detective fiction Mystery fiction |
| Notable work(s) |
The 13 Devils The Five Adventurers |
Mahmoud Salem (1931 - 24 February 2013) was an eminent Egyptian author who was known for children books and mystery series.
Early life and education
Salem was born in Alexandria in 1931 as a son of a naval officer.[1][2] He was raised in different cities in Egypt.[3]
He first attended a military college, but left it due to his membership to a leftist group during the late 1940s.[1] Then he joined Cairo University's faculty of law.[1] However, he again left his studies.[1]
Career and activities
After leaving his studies at the faculty of law, Salem began to work as a journalist.[1] During the 1950s, he worked for the state-run daily Al Gomhuria, firstly as military reporter during the Suez war and then, as head of the crime section.[3] During the 1960s he worked for the Radio and Television Magazine and then, for the children’s magazine Samir where he began to write detective and mystery fiction.[3] He fled the country and lived in Lebanon when he was forced to exile due to his support for the Nasserist views in the 1970s.[3] Until his last days, he published weekly political articles in the newspaper, Al Tahrir.[4] One of his latest articles published on 22 February 2013 involved criticisms against the Muslim Brotherhood.[4]
Works
Salem was the author of many well-known books in Arabic, targeting children and adolescents. Total number of his books is nearly 300.[5][6] One of his books is the 13 Devils written by him while he was in exile in Lebanon.[3] It was series of mystery novels, in which 13 characters from different Arab countries deal with plots of foreign intelligence service.[3] In 2007, one of his stories was filmed.[5] The Five Adventurers, a mystery series, is about the adventures of five children.[2]
Death
Salem died in Cairo at the age of 82 on 24 February 2013.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Saad, Mohammed (25 February 2013). "Pioneering children's author Mahmoud Salem dies at 84". Ahram Online. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Departure of Egyptian Mystery Author Mahmoud Salem". Alowais. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Prominent fiction writer Mahmoud Salem dies at 84". Egypt Independent. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Egyptian author Mahmoud Salem dies age 84". Daily News. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Salem passes away". Poetry News Agency (Cairo). 24 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ↑ Patterson Iskander, Sylvia (1993). "Arabic Adventurers and American Investigators: Cultural Values in Adolescent Detective Fiction". Children's Literature 21: 118–131. Retrieved 28 February 2013.